Imagine being in a car accident. Many people fear being unable to walk or losing a limb, but most don’t consider the potential for facial injuries and their effect on a person’s future. Your head is often a very unprotected part of your body and can sometimes take the brunt of the accident. If you’re dealing with facial injuries from a car accident, you’ll want to speak with an experienced car accident attorney near you to learn what type of damages you could be entitled to due to your injuries.
[lwptoc]Your Face and the Potential For Face Injuries From a Car Accident
You may not realize it, but your face is one of your body’s most sensitive and essential parts. Your skull houses your brain, and any damage to your head puts it at risk. You may be surprised to learn that 14 bones make up your skull. There are single mandible and vomer bones and pairs of nasal, lacrimal, inferior nasal concha, maxilla, palatine, and zygomatic bones. Your sense of taste, smell, and hearing are all from organs on your face. Car accident face injuries could cause you to temporarily or permanently lose your senses. For most people, their face is an integral part of their identity, and seeing their damaged face after a car accident could have deep emotional significance throughout their life.
One study completed in 1994 found that about half of accidents studied involved facial trauma of some type. In addition, 78% of the patients in the study had significant soft tissue injuries, with 22% having broken facial bones. Patients who wore seat belts at the time of the accident were less likely to have facial injuries compared to those who didn’t wear seat belts. Another study completed in 2008 found that facial fractures and lacerations were more likely to occur in vehicles without safety devices, such as vehicles where airbags are not installed like in a motorcycle accident, or the passenger didn’t use the safety equipment.
Causes of Face Accident Injuries
There are several causes when it comes to injuries to the face after car accidents (or truck accidents). First, the individual may have their face slammed against something in the car, such as the dashboard, steering wheel, or the back of the seats. The windshield can shatter, allowing bits of glass and debris to hit the victim’s face. The victim may also fly through the windshield and land on the ground outside of the car. They may try to break their descent and end up sustaining injuries to their face and arms, or in some cases, their unconscious body could hit the ground face-first. The airbag can also be a potential facial hazard in the case of an accident. It may save the person’s life but damage their face due to the force with which it deploys. Finally, you may make contact with the side window or the windshield. After a car accident, face injuries can be prevalent, even for pedestrians, bike riders, and motorcyclists hit by a vehicle.
Types of Facial Injuries After a Car Accident
In less severe car accidents, facial injuries can be more superficial, with bruises or cuts that can heal over time after the accident. However, more serious accidents can result in more severe facial injuries, which can create problems throughout the person’s life. Some examples of facial injuries may include one or more of the following:
- Damage to the soft tissue of the face, such as the tendons, muscles, cartilage, and ligaments in the face
- Broken facial bones, such as the mandible or jaw bone, broken noses, cheekbones, and occipital bones
- Eye damage to the point where one or both eyes are impaired or need to be removed
- Deep cuts and lacerations
- Burns to the face and other parts of the body
- Loss of parts of the face, such as the ears, nose, or tongue
- Nerve damage in the face that causes it to droop or not function as it did before the accident
- Facial deformities, such as sunken cheeks from broken bones
- Facial scars including from burns, cuts, or other damage
- Brain damage that leads to memory and learning problems, seizures, personality changes, and different harmful results
Someone facing facial injuries can have a hard time ahead of them when it comes to healing and adapting to life after their accident, significantly when sight, vocal cords, or other senses are damaged.
Common Medical Treatments for Injuries to the Face After a Car Accident
One of the most critical steps to take after being in an accident where you’ve had facial trauma is to seek medical care. Even if you believe you’re only dealing with less severe cuts and bruising, you may have a traumatic brain injury or other more severe trauma that doesn’t appear immediately after your accident. Some of the standard medical treatments you may receive for your facial trauma include:
- Giving you pain medications.
- Ensuring your air passages are clear.
- Running tests to determine the extent of your injuries.
- Stopping any bleeding.
- Applying stitches, stapes, or bandages.
- Providing you with antibiotics to prevent infections.
- Surgery in cases of fractured bones or other wounds that require it.
- Grafting for burns.
- The potential for cosmetic surgery in the future.
Some patients in car accidents who have facial injuries may end up in the Intensive Care Unit to help protect them and get them through the most severe injuries as safely as possible. ICU patients receive excellent care from staff trained to deal with the most injured and sick patients, but it can be an expensive medical bill to receive. Car accident victims that sustain face injuries need to be able to focus on healing. They also shouldn’t have the additional worry of paying medical bills due to someone else’s carelessness.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer For Car Accident Face Injuries?
After a car accident, paying for medical bills, especially if you won’t be able to work due to the injuries you sustained can become a huge problem. Hiring a personal injury lawyer near you can often be the best way to ensure that the damages you receive are fair compensation for your injuries. An insurance company or other liable party will often act differently when you have an experienced legal professional on your side. Especially if you are suffering from significant head trauma including those needing the help of a brain injury lawyer.
Have you or a loved one been involved in a car accident that left you with face injuries? Contact Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers today to discuss your case. We offer a no-cost initial consultation, so you can understand what to expect from our team.
Check Out What Others Are Saying About Our Car Accident Attorneys Near You if You Are Suffering From Facial Trauma
It was a pleasure to be a client of Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers. From day one Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers treated me like a family member. They were concerned about my well-being. That made a good expression on me especially since I had an injury and was not feeling my best. I’m so thankful that I was in good hands. I would recommend Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers to anyone that is in need of help.
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